“Now I’m here playing NRL and he’s telling me that – I just don’t want to let him down.” Tawha left Hamilton for Australia as a bright-eyed teenager to ply his trade for the Tweed Seagulls five years ago, before a shoulder injury seemingly ended his NRL crusade. He moved back across the ditch for a period, before taking up a shock opportunity to play rugby union in the Netherlands during the COVID-19 pandemic. He later returned home, where he settled for local football while working as a scaffolder. But an out-of-the-blue call from Yass Magpies in 2023 turned his fortunes around. There, he was spotted by former Redcliffe Dolphins coach and Brisbane Broncos forward Ben Te’o and produced a breakout Queensland Cup season.